Flexible shaft-coupling



W. R. FOX.

FLEXIQLE SHAFT COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED MAY 16. 1919.

1,314,320. PatentedAug. 26,1919.

- jnvenior:

ZZZZ 7723.1 0 gv gflwmfiwmr M zzz a WILLIAM R. FOX, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

FLEXIBLE SHAFT-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919..

Original application filed February 20, 1917, Serial No. 149,795. Renewed April 2, 1919, Serial No. 287,070. Divided and this application filed May 16, 1919. Serial No. 297,571.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM R. Fox, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Jackson, Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Shaft-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention is a division of that set forth in application for Letters Patent of the United States filed February 20th, 1917, Serial Number 149,795, renewed April 2nd, 1919, Serial Number 287,070.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed 'out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings;

Figure 1 is a side view of a flexible shaft coupling embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of the coupling members with the outer sleeves removed.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the coupling members.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of another form of coupling member.

Fig. 5 is a view of a coupling member which may be used as a mate to either of the forms shown in Figs. 3 or 1.

Fig. 6 is a View of the coupling member of Fig. 5 a quarter turn from the View shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a face view of the coupling member of Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig, 8 is a View of the connector member or grooved ball.

The coupling comprises fork members, one of which may be of the form shown in Figs. 3 and 1 connected with the form shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 by means of the grooved ball illustrated in Fig. 8.

Referring to Fig. 3 the coupling comprises a main portion 1 of cylindrical form having a fork 2 with flat side faces formed by cutting away the metal, so that the fork is of reduced thickness in relation to the diameter of the main portion 1. The fork of this member, shown in Fig. 3, is adapted to receive the grooved ball member 4 of Fig. 8, the grooves 5 of which extend at right angles to each other, leaving a core with flattened faces at 6 and rounded faces at 7 formed on the are of a circle struck from the center of the ball. The flattened faces permit the ball and the fork member to be connected by presenting these flattened surfaces to the arms of the fork and then by turning the ball and fork member relatively to each other the fork engages the are shaped surfaces of the core and the parts are maintained in connection.

In Fig. 5 I show a forked member which may be used as a mate to the form shown in Fig. 3. This form of F ig, 5 comprises a cylindrical body portion 9 having a fork extension 10, and instead of cutting away the metal in the formation of the fork straight across, as in Fig. 3 at the line X, an end milling cutter is used which will produce the forn'iation illustrated in Figs. 5, (5 and 7, leaving intact portions of the cylindrical body reaching up at a, along the sides of the fork to reinforce the same. This reii'iforcing of this member is desirable because it is provided with a gateway 11 to receive the fork portion of the other member, shown in Fig. 3. This circular milling of the fork member shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is done on only one side of the member, the other side having the metal left intact as shown at 13 up to the level of the bottom of the forked opening. This extension of the metal at B is cut away on its interior to make a partly spherical surface to fit that of the ball. The formation is well shown in Fig. 7 in which the edge B is shown extending in curved form from one side of the fork to the other and bounding the partly spherical recess B This construction reinforces the fork arms. The fork member of Figs. 5, 6 and 7 may be used with a companion member, such as shown in Fig. 4, which is formed with reinforcing portions at B on each side. The fork member of either Figs. 3 or 1 can be inserted into connection with the member of Figs. 5, 6 and 7 with the ball in place by passing the fork of either of said members shown in Figs. 3 and 4 through the gateway 11, when in a position substantially at right-angles to the member shown in Fig. 5 and then by bringing the members into axial aliuemeut the coupling will be effected.

Sleeves shown at 12, Fig. 1, may be employed fixed to the coupling members in any suitable way, and partly inclosing the ball and the forks.

lVhat I claim is:

A universal joint comprising a grooved ball. a pair of coupling heads, each having a fork to engage the ball, one of said heads inforced at one face by integral portions.

curved on their inner faces to conform to the ball and reaching up to a plane above the bottom of said gateway, and reinforced on the other side bya portion reaching IiptO Copies of this patent may be obtained for a plane above the bottom of the gateway and haying a partly spherical recess conforming 10 to the spherical face of the ball, the rim of said portion extending from one fork arm to the other, substantially as described.

Intestimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

I WILLIAM R. FOX.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. i Y 

